holwell



- J. 1. HOLWELL.

. Fire Escape. No; 28,862. Patented June '26, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion J. J. HOLWVELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,862, dated June 26, 1860.

cal section of this invention when elevated and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same before it is extended. Fig. 3

is a plan or top view of the same when lowered and ready to be drawn from place to lace.

p Similar letters of reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging the tormentors, which serve to elevate and to steady the ladders, with wheels or rollers at their lower ends, and with suitable sockets to receive the ends of pointed rods attached to the truck, in combination with a rope or ropes extending over a Windlass in such a manner that by turning the Windlass the tormentors serve to assist in elevating the lad ders, and that when elevated the truck together with the ladders can be easily drawn from place to place. And it consists also in combining with said tormentors an adjustable cross brace in such a manner that the same are steadied when the ladder or ladders are elevated, and that they can be brought farther apart or nearer together as may be desirable.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, with reference to the drawing.

The butt-end of the main ladder A, is hinged to the forward truck B, and its upper end rests on the rear truck C, being secured to the latter by means of a clamp or bolt or by any other suitable means in such a manner that said truck can easily be disconnected from the ladder. The ladder itself forms the only connection between the two trucks and in order to strengthen the ladder I have arranged it with longitudinal braces D, one under each side rail of the main ladder, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. By using these braces the side rails can be made lighter, and still the ladder retains strength enough for the purpose for which it is intended to be used. In carrying the ladder or ladders from place to place these braces prevent the swaying up and down of the ladder, and when the ladder or ladders are elevated, it or they are enabled by the aid of the braces to support a larger weight than ordinary ladders.

For the purpose of elevating the ladder or ladders I use a Windlass E, which is attached to the under side of the platform of the truck B, and which connects by means of ropes a, with the tormentors F. These tormentors are hinged to the sides of the side rails b, of the ladder A, and their lower ends are furnished with wheels or rollers 0, so that they pass easily over the ground if power is applied to the Windlass E, and at the same time if the ladders are elevated the truck B, together with the ladders, and the tormentors can easily be drawn from place to place.

The tormentors are united by a crossbrace (Z, which can be lengthened or shortened at pleasure, so as to allow the tormentors to spread or to be brought closer together as the nature of the ground on which they stand may require. When the tormentors are drawn in toward the truck B, they are further steadied by pointed rods 6, the ends of which fit into suitable sockets in the lower ends of the tormentors, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and if arranged as represented in that figure, the tormentors, the truck and the ladders are firmly united, and by means of the wheels on the truck, and those on the tormentors the ladders can now be easily brought to the desired place, even after they have been elevated. And in some localities it is very desirable that the ladders can be moved in an elevated position because it is in many cases impossible to elevate the ladders just where they are wanted, and it is also necessary sometimes to shift the ladders from one window to another or from one house to another. When the ladders are to be lowered, the Windlass E, is turned back and the tormentors gradually recede under the weight of the ladder, until its upper end is safely landed on the rear truck C. In most cases it is also desirable to have the main ladder A, arranged with an additional ladder Gr, so that it can be extended by means of the Windlass f, and rope g, or in any other desirable manner and that the length of the entire ladder can be regulated according to the locality in which it is to be used. This arrangement of the ladders and Windlass E, truck B, and ladder A, constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The arrangement of the adjustable cross brace 01, in combination with the tormentors F, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

J. J. HOLWELL.

Witnesses:

N. LANsBURGH, CHAS. HUGHES. 

